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ICT and the Sustainability of World Heritage Sites. Analysis of Senior Citizens’ Use of Tourism Apps

Author

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  • Irene Ramos-Soler

    (Department of Communication and Social Psychology, School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig Rd., 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain)

  • Alba-María Martínez-Sala

    (Department of Communication and Social Psychology, School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig Rd., 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain)

  • Concepción Campillo-Alhama

    (Department of Communication and Social Psychology, School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig Rd., 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain)

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and applications (apps) for tourists are key tools for the sustainability of World Cultural Heritage Sites (WCHS). Their integration into tourism marketing strategies poses challenges regarding the satisfaction of the expectations of the target stakeholders, particularly senior tourists, people aged 60 and over. This paper adopts an exploratory and descriptive approach that combines qualitative techniques (focus groups), to study the use senior citizens make of ICT and tourism apps, with quantitative ones. In this sense, content analysis has been performed on a sample of tourism apps. The results reveal that ICT are essential tools for senior tourists and positively influence tourists’ final perception of the travel experience. The analysis of these mobile apps shows that they meet the expectations of senior tourists, who constitute a relevant generation for cultural tourism and are of special interest for the sustainability of WCHS. The configuration and development of these tools must be adapted to this generation, which we call Generation W.

Suggested Citation

  • Irene Ramos-Soler & Alba-María Martínez-Sala & Concepción Campillo-Alhama, 2019. "ICT and the Sustainability of World Heritage Sites. Analysis of Senior Citizens’ Use of Tourism Apps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:11:p:3203-:d:238262
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Mugobi, Thereza & Mlozi, Shogo, 2021. "The impact of external factors on ICT usage practices at UNESCO World Heritage Sites," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 3-12.
    4. Aziza Chakir & Meriyem Chergui & Johanes Fernandes Andry, 2021. "A decisional smart approach for the adoption of the IT green," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8857-8871, June.
    5. Mateusz Naramski, 2020. "The Application of ICT and Smart Technologies in Polish Museums—Towards Smart Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-27, November.
    6. Alper Bozkurt & Ferhat Şeker, 2023. "Harmonizing Heritage and Artificial Neural Networks: The Role of Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO World Heritage Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-17, August.
    7. Mateusz Naramski & Krzysztof Herman, 2019. "The Development of Mobile Tourism in the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Area of Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    8. Vitor Rodrigues & Celeste Eusébio & Zélia Breda, 2023. "Enhancing sustainable development through tourism digitalisation: a systematic literature review," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 13-45, March.
    9. Kinga Kimic & Carlos Smaniotto Costa & Mihaela Negulescu, 2021. "Creating Tourism Destinations of Underground Built Heritage—The Cases of Salt Mines in Poland, Portugal, and Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-23, August.
    10. Carlos Santos-Iglesia & Pablo Fernández-Arias & Álvaro Antón-Sancho & Diego Vergara, 2022. "Energy Consumption of the Urban Transport Fleet in UNESCO World Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Ávila (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-19, May.
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